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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pop — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. last — finally
  5. face — to point toward
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — soda
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — to handle
  10. face — part of the head
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — final
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pop — to visit
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — hasty
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com